Priesthood of the Beyond
|Row 3 title = Beliefs: |Row 3 info = Necromancer's Tenets The Farlands |Row 4 title = Important Figures: |Row 4 info = The Veiled Escort |Row 5 title = Status: |Row 5 info = }} The Priesthood of the Beyond is a minor religion that developed in the region of the Eastweald. It consists primarily of necromancers who consider it their responsibility to help restless souls pass on to the afterlife, especially souls bound to the material world due to undeath. The northern sect of the Priesthood is led by the Lich Vularad. The southern sect is led by Mercer Thorne. History Migration and Separation The Priesthood originally began as Harvest Witches in the western regions of the land in Gilneas. Due to suffering under a famine, several witches migrated towards the eastern lands, settling in the Eastweald. They came into contact with the Coven of the Wilds, and an exchange of ideas led to the humans developing a shared belief in the Wilds. Over the generations, the witches developed into what they considered a "priesthood" and began to abandon the Old Ways in favor of their newfound tradition. Their understanding of the Wilds changed over the years into what was believed to be the Farlands, with a reverence for the souls of the dead and the balance of delivering these souls to the afterlife. Necromantic rituals were employed to urge reluctant souls to the afterlife and even raise corpses from the dead. A strict code was employed for these necromancers with a cemented belief in their role in the balance between life and death. It become their task to ensure that the souls of the dead found their way to the Farlands. The Priesthood would become split between the north and the south due to a significant controversy after the Lich Vularad was permitted into the Priesthood's ranks. The northern priesthood occupied the Eastern Plaguelands while the southern priesthood occupied Duskwood, both hard at work in correcting the egregious imbalance caused by both the Undead Scourge in Lordaeron and Morbent Fel in Duskwood. The Rogue WIP Beliefs The Priesthood believes in the existence of a realm known as the Farlands, an afterlife that all souls are meant to pass on to following death. It is not considered a paradise or hell, but instead a realm of rest. There is a balance to be upheld between the two worlds, and the Priests of the Beyond strive to uphold that. Their duty is to return the restless, angry dead to a peaceful rest and send souls bound to the material world onto the spiritual world. Typically the role of a priest will involve destroying the bodies of undead to release their souls. Since the Forsaken and the Knights of the Ebon Blade achieved their freedom from the Lich King, the Priesthood has acknowledged that there are sentient undead who wish to pass on, but also that there are undead who wish to stay. For this reason, priests are expected to offer sentient undead an opportunity for their final death, but not enforce or pressure it if the offer is refused. It is an undead's right to choose, however an undead who is deemed malevolent will be unconditionally put to death, regardless of choice. The Priesthood is considered to be a close-knit community, even a family among some. As such, betrayal of the Priesthood or its values is strictly forbidden. Breaking the values of the Priesthood requires one to either repent by fulfilling their duties - typically by guiding a hundred souls - or die. The opportunity of repentance only comes once, and a repeat offender shall simply be put to death. A priest must exist beyond the potential of temptation, accepting the inevitability of death with no attempt to forestall it. Priests who wield Necromancy solely to empower themselves are considered to be malevolent. Disciplining oneself against temptation often results in many priests becoming indifferent to the self and personal desires. Necromancer's Tenets With the introduction of Necromancy to the Priesthood's practices, five tenets were placed upon the practice. They outline a strict code of how a necromancer must operate, with the goal of deterring temptation to prevent individuals from upsetting the balance. I. The soul shall have no awareness of its risen state. II. The risen dead shall be laid to rest when their purpose is fulfilled. III. The dead shall not be risen for reasons that are vain or trivial. IV. The soul shall not be warped into unholy and malevolent form. V. The works of the malevolent are to be destroyed, never used. Undead Membership The subject of undead membership has been a source of controversy for the Priesthood. The most significant instance was when Vularad, formerly a Lich of the Scourge, sought to join the Priesthood to correct the damage the Scourge had inflicted upon the land. His capacity for faith and redemption was marked and deemed worthy by some, however others declared that to admit Vularad was a violation of the fifth tenet and served to perpetuate imbalance. The northern sect is now led by Vularad and remains somewhat flexible on undead membership, provided the undead is worthy of character. No other undead have ever joined the Priesthood since Vularad's admission. The southern sect consists of the more rigid who believe that even the repentant undead are better off being ushered to the Farlands than remaining with the Priesthood. Traditions Rites of the Balance To become a necromancer for the priesthood, one is expected to forge their own ceremonial scythe. No ordinary forge will suffice, as one must travel to a specific forge deep within Duskwood. The area this forge is located within is believed to be one in which the barrier between the realm of the dead and the realm of the living is weak enough that it will shape both the scythe and its wielder. When the scythe is constructed, the priest is then expected to find a grave of their choosing. When the grave is chosen, the priest will lay within and consume an alchemical concoction that will place in them in a death-like sleep. They will sleep within the grave for the entire day as their soul is sent to the Farlands to see the world beyond their own. When they arrive in the realm of the dead, the first thing they will see is the soul of the person whose grave the priest now inhabits. The priest is to traverse the realm of the dead for a day. The act of sleeping with the dead and walking among the Farlands measures a priest's capacity for temptation as they are met with the souls of long-lost relatives, old loves, past lives, confronted with the reality of Death. It is also a task to ensure the individual's understanding of the task that awaits them, to ferry souls from the material world to the spiritual world. When one emerges from the sleep, they are expected to understand the necessity for balance between the living and the dead, and possess the discipline to withstand temptation. If a priest is successful in both of these, they are then permitted to be named as a Guide to the Farlands, and are trained in the dark arts of Necromancy. Day of the Dead The Day of the Dead is an event marked by the spirit world drawing closer to the material world. This is regarded as a day of rest by the Priesthood, a reprieve from their responsibilities. Priests believe the Day of the Dead is a day in which their god permits the souls of the deceased to visit the world of the living. As a result, the priests hold a festival on the Day of the Dead in honor of their god's benevolence, and prepare offerings beforehand for visiting souls. Before the Day of the Dead begins, priests will often pray to the soul of a loved one who has since passed on in order to communicate and reach out to them. A candle is lit in reverence to the honored dead, serving as a means of remembrance. Hallow's End The Priesthood regards Hallow's End in a similar fashion to the Day of the Dead for a similar reason the spiritual world drawing closer to the material world. A time of rest, celebration, and reverence, this too is an event for many priests to set down their scythes and take a reprieve from their duty, as well as honor the deceased. The tradition of the burning of the Wickerman is one the priesthood does retain from its roots as harvest witches, with the original meaning of burning away one's burdens still being upheld. Typically the burning of the Wickerman occurs as a singular event on the final week of Hallow's End, during which the two sects of the priesthood convene for a friendly festival of celebration and shared values, before finally carrying out the burning. Sacred Items The Priesthood possesses its share of sacred items and symbols, employed by priests for various purposes. Ceremonial Scythe All necromancers of the Priesthood carry a ceremonial scythe. It is not intended to serve as a weapon, but instead as a tool for carrying out rituals and a symbol of closeness to the Farlands. Priests share an intimate relationship with their scythes, and to forsake one's scythe is to forsake their god. Along the blade of each scythe, intricate designs are carved portraying the journey to the Farlands. Every priest creates their own scythe as a rite of passage, personally responsible for its design, empowerment, and carving. The scythe is a prominent symbol in the Priesthood, as their god is often depicted with a scythe, as one may expect. However, in the Priesthood's belief, it is not the god's duty to reap souls, and the scythe is not used on all he meets. Instead, it is carried in order to take in those who attempt to resist Death's calling by means of forcible harvest, often regarded as punishment for hubris against Death. For this reason, the scythe is considered to be a symbol of the inevitability of Death and a priest's acceptance of it, and mirrors the priests' role in occasionally wielding the scythe as a weapon against the undead. The scythe does possess magical properties, serving as a focus for necromantic magic. It can be used for combat, as its blade is remarkably durable. That said, the scythe, like Necromancy itself, must not be used in vain. Category:Religion Category:Religious Organizations Category:Necromancers Category:Priesthood of the Beyond